Would love to be fishing from a boat but for now I'm a landlubber. I'm curious about suggestions for an approach to bank fishing. Mostly spots like Bixhoma, Beggs Lake, Claremore, Yahola, small water places. I'm not looking for catfish, but bass. Should I throw plastics, spinners, crankbaits? I'm always afraid of hanging an expensive lure and not being able to get to it (OK, I'm cheap). I catch and release, just love to fish. Wish I could find that special farm pond, but no luck yet! I live in Tulsa.
I enjoy this website and appreciate everyone's input, it's a great resource.
Thanks, Bob

I would use Texas-rigged worms, spinnerbaits, and topwaters most of the time.
I've done a lot of bass fishing from the bank and still do ocassionally. One of the challenges is finding areas that aren't too grown over with brush and aren't too steep to manuever around.
One of the places I always look for is rip rap, which can be found around most dams and bridges. I caught a bunch of bass at Beggs off of the dam rip rap before I got my boat. The rip rap will eat lures, so that's one bad part about it. Use topwaters or spinnerbaits that you can work above the rip rap to minimize hang-ups. I would still throw Texas-rig worms and just realize that you are going to lose a few hooks and weights in the process. Crankbaits can be killer around rip rap, but you're going to lose some of those, as well. If you work it slowly and really feel your way through the rocks, you can minimize the damage by stopping the crankbait and letting it float up if it feels like its about to get hung up. I usually reel the crankbait down until it starts hitting the rock and then trying to just maintain contact with the rocks without digging the lure too deep into them.
Good luck to you and welcome to the Notebook!

I've got some that are loosing, or have lost, their paint job. I still fish them.
If the hooks are rusting out, replace them. If the body is cracked, that will probably alter floatation and/or action, then I would replace it as well.
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If your talking soft plastics, I have some never opened from the late 80's. Friends brother had a bait shop, when he closed I got all the lures and soft plastics I needed.
A house divided can never stand. -Abraham Lincoln